From Paul Taylor –

I feel it necessary to announce that I have decided to not seek re-election for another term on the City Council. It has been an honor to serve my city for the past 3 1/2 years.

It’s hard to put into a Facebook post how I feel about this announcement, as I have truly enjoyed the challenge that this role has presented and have given much of my life to studying and attempting to improve the City in every way I could during this term.

I love this community and am beyond appreciative for those who I have been able to work alongside and those that have supported me before and during this period.

A lot has changed at the City from 4 years ago. We have dug deep enough to find a financial foundation, resulting in reduced debt and budget surpluses without raising taxes.

We have rebuilt our Fire Department fleet and much of our Police Department fleet. We have identified and corrected issues beyond count, while making some of our own that we in turn had to correct.

We have developed processes, plans, calendars, and metrics that have helped guide us. We have provided salary increases for city employees, along with a plan for future adjustments. We are overhauling our financial management system technology for increased efficiency and oversight.

We have created new boards and committees to help with fiscal oversight, work towards updating our municipal code, and find solutions to combat poverty and homelessness. I’m proud of these and the other accomplishments over this term and will be forever grateful for the opportunity to serve my community in this way.

My goal for this term was to achieve as much as possible within the 4 years that I was elected to serve, and I feel confident the we have moved the City in a positive direction.

I feel that the coming election is a good time for me to step away from the Council to focus on my family, pursue personal goals, and reset my perspective to that of a resident – as opposed to a decision maker.

I believe that Jackson needs and deserves active, informed, and fully-engaged City Council members to successfully navigate the region’s coming growth. With that in mind, I wanted to make this announcement to open the opportunity for others in my District to serve this community.

I’m looking forward to seeing what is built on the foundation that has been laid.